TIFFIN — The current OHSAA Division 3 champions proved on their turf why they can make a repeat this year.
The Toledo Central Catholic Fighting Irish proved too much for Lexington during a 35-7 Minutemen loss in Division III Region 10 semifinals on Friday evening at Tiffin’s Frost-Kalnow Stadium.
Ref: Lexington becoming the 12th seed in the contest qualified and defeated Maumee and Rocky River successively. The Minutemen coming into the game with a record of 7-5 while the Fighting Irish recorded an 11-1 record, the only loss suffered by the team being to an out of state team.
TCC started out strong when from a yard out Tyler Morgan was able to punch it. The Irish were then able to score again two more times in the first quarter only. It was a balanced meal all night. The major contributors on the ground were running back Tyler Morgan, who ran 12 times for 80 yards and two touchdowns and yight end Preston Fryzel scored two more times and caught three passes for 83 yards.
In the third quarter, heading to the third quarter break at least 35-0, Joey Caudill hit Brayden Fogle at 50+ for the pick up and fumble as he ran with the ball. In the fourth quarter Caudill connected with Fogle on the deep ball one more time for a 66 yard pass. Caudill then took it in for a 12 yard touchdown as Lexington scored its only TD of the night.
Brayden Fogle mustered four catches for 136 yards in his junior season. Another junior gunslinger, Joey Caudill, went nine for 256 for the night and threw two interceptions. The TCC defensive line was simple in the backfield all the night. Still, Fogle was decent for much of the night despite facing a four-star recruit.
“He did a nice job of making some big plays, and he’ll look back at the fumble at the end and be upset about himself but what I told him out there is that these are all learning moments,” Lexington head coach Andrew Saris.
Looking at the case of Lexington entering the postseason with a 5-5 record and the number 12 seed, they did more than expected. THey then gave themselves 3 other games to play.
“That is almost one third of the regular season of extra reps these guys got.” “That is extremely beneficial,” said Saris, “for us to get that.”
Lexington has no reason to hide anything.
“One thing i told our guys is that we came in tonight as a village, as a community and a family and they fought until the very end as that,” saris told crews.
It is the fifth time that the Minutemen have reached the regional semifinals on an eve trip.
